Vitamin E improves the aminotransferase status of patients suffering from viral hepatitis C: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Vitamin E has been shown to protect against liver damage induced by oxidative stress in animal experiments. Based on our previous findings of diminished vitamin E levels in patients suffering from viral hepatitis, we treated 23 hepatitis C patients refractory to alpha-interferon therapy with high doses of vitamin E (2 x 400 IU RRR-alpha-tocopherol/day) for 12 weeks.


METHODS
pro-spective randomized double-blind crossover design. Clinical parameters including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined for monitoring the disease state, in parallel vitamin E plasma levels and plasma lipids were determined. The plasma levels of the alpha-tocopherol were increased about 2-fold in all 23 patients. In 11 of 23 patients the clinical parameters indicative of liver damage were improved during the phase of vitamin E treatment (48% responders). ALT levels in responders were lowered by 46% and AST levels were lowered by 35% after 12 weeks of vitamin E treatment. Cessation of vitamin E treatment was followed by a rapid relapse of ALT and AST elevation, whereas retreatment led to a reproducible ALT decrease by 45% and AST decrease of 37% after a 6 months followup. Since vitamin E is non-toxic even at elevated doses ingested over extended periods, we suggest the treatment of patients refractory to alpha-interferon therapy suffering from hepatitis C with vitamin E as a supportive therapy.
von Herbay
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine (GI-Unit), Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
Stahl
W
W
Niederau
C
C
Sies
H
H
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D010919:Placebos; D014810:Vitamin E; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase